The nation's top prosecutor has ordered a prompt investigation into controversy surrounding First Lady Kim Keon-hee's acceptance of a high-end handbag from an acquaintance in 2022.

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok gave the order to swiftly and thoroughly probe the anti-graft case based on evidence and legal principles, thereby revealing the truth, after being briefed by Song Kyung-ho, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Last November, Voice of Seoul, a left-leaning YouTube channel, released a hidden camera footage showing a pastor named Choi Jae-young handing over the bag to the first lady, presumably valued at around three million won or two-thousand-200 U.S. dollars, in September 2022.

The YouTube channel has since filed a complaint against the first lady and President Yoon Suk Yeol over alleged violation of the anti-graft law.

In a special interview with KBS in February, Yoon had characterized the incident as a political setup ahead of the general elections in April, expressing regret and said that it is very difficult for the president or the first lady to cold-heartedly reject anyone.